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OCD Awareness Week
By Melissa Martin, Ph.D.
Shawn’s mother brought him to therapy because she noticed he began to
squeeze his head in the mornings before school. He was trying to
“squeeze out the thoughts.” Shawn (a 5-year old) was experiencing
ruminating thoughts that “would not go away.” He was having unwanted
intrusive thoughts.
Kate (a 9-year old) developed an irrational fear that certain foods
would harm or poison her. She read food labels; refused to eat school
lunches; and experienced extreme anxiety around family meals. Her
parents brought her to therapy when she began to lose weight.
Rita (a 13-year old) was buying and stockpiling household cleaners
whenever she could. Her fear of germs was so overwhelming and
compelling that she would sneak out of her house and walk to a nearby
store to purchase more cleaning products.
Many children with OCD develop it between the ages of 8–12, although OCD can occur in children as young as 4.
According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital-Behavioral Health Services,
Columbus, Ohio, The Anxiety and Depression Association of America,
reports OCD affects about 1 in 100 children in the U.S. The disorder
can begin in childhood or during the teen years. Boys often develop
symptoms at an earlier age than girls.
What is OCD? “Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health
disorder that affects people of all ages and walks of life, and occurs
when a person gets caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions.
Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that
trigger intensely distressing feelings. Compulsions are behaviors an
individual engages in to attempt to get rid of the obsessions and/or
decrease his or her distress.” Learn more about OCD at www.iocdf.org.
What kinds of obsessions do children and teenagers have? Children may
have worries about germs, getting sick, dying, bad things happening, or
doing something wrong. Feelings that things have to be “just right” are
common in children. Some children have very disturbing thoughts or
images of hurting others, or improper thoughts or images of sex.
What compulsions or rituals do children and teenagers have? There are
many different rituals such as washing and cleaning, repeating actions
until they are just right, starting things over again, doing things
evenly, erasing, rewriting, asking the same question over and over
again, confessing or apologizing, saying lucky words or numbers,
checking, touching, tapping, counting, praying, ordering, arranging and
hoarding.
According to The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,
“Research shows that OCD is a brain disorder and tends to run in
families, although this doesn't mean the child will definitely develop
symptoms if a parent has the disorder. A child may also develop OCD
with no previous family history.” www.aacap.org.
Can OCD in children and teenagers be treated? Yes, OCD in children can
be effectively treated. Although there is no cure for OCD,
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medicines are effective in
managing the symptoms. Experts agree that CBT is the treatment of
choice for children with OCD. Whenever possible, CBT should be tried
before medicine with children.
Resources
For more information about OCD in kids and teens, including helpful
information for family members, your child’s pediatrician, and your
child’s school, visit: www.ocdinkids.org.
A recommend book, “Talking Back to OCD” by Dr. John March for parents to use with children and teens diagnosed with OCD.
“Being Me with OCD: How I Learned to Obsess Less and Live My Life” by
Alison Dotson is highly recommended. Dotson was diagnosed with OCD at
age twenty-six, after suffering from “taboo” obsessions for more than a
decade. www.freespirit.com.
OCD Awareness Week goes from Sunday to Saturday, October 13–19. Each
year during the second full week of October, community groups, service
organizations, and clinics across the US and around the world celebrate
OCD Awareness Week with events such as educational lecture series,
OCD-inspired art exhibits, grassroots fundraisers, and more.
As a kick-off to #OCDweek, on Saturday, October 12th, the International
OCD Foundation (IOCDF) will co-host the Mental Health Advocacy Capital
Walk at the National Mall in Washington, DC.
Ohio Resource
Lindner Center of Hope in Cincinnati, Ohio is a founding member of OCD
Midwest, local affiliate of the International OCD Foundation,
www.ocfoundation.org and www.ocd-midwest.org. Lindner Center of Hope’s
approach to OCD treatment uses combinations of Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and medication
therapy. Effective education builds upon therapy to help patients
manage OCD. www.lindnercenterofhope.org.
Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in Ohio.
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